In my daily work with clients, I routinely discuss the process and strategy for giving employees remote access to files, systems, email, phone, etc. There are many complex issues involved, such as security, monitoring capabilities, maintaining a centralized data policy, etc. This can be rather intimidating, especially for small businesses.

It used to be that you would give your employees a large computer to take home with them and they could connect the green dots on the screen to view a couple of things on the network; sometimes. Now that the technology has caught up with our needs (or is it the other way around?) the complexity of managing such a system starts to show its teeth.

Are we paying too much? Are we paying enough? Is it secure? Is it reliable? The list of questions and concerns can go on… Well, there are some fundamental things to keep in mind when reviewing your “remote” strategy. Some of them are discussed here, which hold true in most scenarios, however be sure to contact us for a specific analysis tailored to your situation.

Many small businesses use an online service such as GoToMyPC.com, but how does this address the issues mentioned above? It may be cheaper than other options up front, but what is the cost to your business of losing confidential customer information? Are they liable? Do they take adequate measures to prevent security intrusions? Are they using SSL encryption or give you a dedicated tunnel through the Internet?

What about performance issues? When you try and login to check your email and perhaps check on a supplier’s delivery date, does the roof on your house start to shake in anticipation? In addition, simplicity and technology need to go hand in hand. Without a simple IT environment to manage, more time and money is wasted trying to figure it all out. You have better things to do with you time, that’s for sure… Make sure that whatever solution you’re looking at (either now or in the future) is easy to manage!

I would love to hear about some of your experiences in this area… Let’s discuss.